Refrigerating apparatus



July 1,1941. K R 2,247,949

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept 24,- 1936 ATTOR N E l atented 1', 1941 I g I urn-rel STATES [PATENT orric f I lining and a spaced outer wall.

anrmosmmo msns'rus Andrew A. menu, Dayton, om Application September 24, 1936, Serial No. 102,368

(cl. zza-s) 2 Claims.

One of the objects of the present invention is to utilize the breaker strip to secure one or more of the edges of the walls to the frame; to utilize the breaker strip to cover the edge as well as secure the edge of the wall in position.

In carrying out the above object, it is a further. object to form the edges of the walls into flanges extending toward one another whereby a fiat breaker strip can be employed for covering and securing the edges of the walls in position.

Another object is to arrange, the parts so that the breaker strip overlies a door seal and thereby holds the latter in position.

A further object is to arrange the door seal that it covers the joint between the wall and breaker strip.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an insulating cabinet including an outer casing andan inner lining in which breakerand sides of casing 28 are bent outwardly, as at Fig. l is a perspective'view of the improved I cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-4 of Fig. 1;

- ually or if desirable, the frame members can bedoor showing a joint between frame'members or parts.

The insulating wall structure of my invention may be utilized in many different forms and for illustrative purposes, I have embodied the same in a refrigerator cabinet 20, having door 2i hinged by hinges 22. Sealing strips 22 and 26- seal the joint between the door 2| and the cabinet 20. A suitable latch is disposed within the door and is actuated by a latch mechanism 25.

The walls of the cabinet are in the form of two sheet metal casings, an outer casing 27 and an inner casing or lining 28. These casings are spaced from one another throughout so as to provide an insulating chamber completely around and in back of lining 28. Preferably insulating material such as cork, rock wool or other suitable material 30 packaged in heavy paper or the like, is carried in the insulating chamber. The outer casing 21 is formed of two sheets of metal. One of these sheets is formed to providethe front.

the top, the bottom and both sides of the casing.

The adjoining ends of the sheet are welded together and the second sheet is also welded to the top, bottom and sides to form the closed back for the cabinet.

The front edges of the top, bottom and sides of casing 27 are bent inwardly to form the front It, and thenrearwardly at an obtuse angle, to form flanges 32. The front edges of the top, bottom 36, and then forwardly, at an obtuse angle to form flanges 8t. Elanges 32 and 260i the casings 2'5 and 2d are aligned. A frame 36, comprising four frame members 37, is carried at the front of the cabinet at between the casings 21 and 28. Each of these frame members is substantially oi trapezoidal shape in cross section'and the angling sides thereof abut the flanges 32 and 35 of the casings. Other sides of the frame. members each abut the interior of the front portions 3! and the interior of the top, bottom and sides of easing 2'5. The width of the frame member 317 is such that the rear sides thereof are substantially flush with the rear sides of flanges 34. Thus the rear sides of the ,frame members and flanges form an abutment for the packaged insulation. The ends of the frame members are undercut as shown in Fig. 6, so that adjoining ends thereof interflt.

In assembling the cabinet, frame 36 is flrst inthe frame members 31, can be inserted individbuilt as .a unit and then, by cooking the same,

this unit as such is inserted in casing 21. Next .3 w the other.

:the packaged insulation 30 is placed in position against the interior of casing' 2l. After all of the insulation is in place, the inner casing or lining 23. is inserted. When in place, the flanges 133 will abut the angling side of the frame mem-v ber 31.

A breaker strip 42 is then attached to' the 43. These breaker strips overlie the flanges 32 and 35 and when in secured position, clamp the 111811868 32 and 33 in'position and form a lock be-' tween the frame 33, casings 2i and 28 and breaker strips 42. The holesfor the screws 43 are pre- 1 one another.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a cabinet 'which is sturdy and requires 1 merely a few frame members. In this manner,.a

thick layer of'insulation can be placed substanv anglingside of each frame member 31 by screws frame members 6|, two horizontally extending frame members 62 and a sub-frame 63. In. asv sembling, the members 8| are first insert-ed into the opposed vertical sections of channel 54 and n then the members e2 are inserted into the opposed horizontal sections of channel 5|. The ends of members 62 tightly abut the edges of members 6| so" that all of said members are firmly held in the channel sections 54. Then the sub frame as is attached as a unit to theframe members st and Y62 by a series of long countersunk screws 65 which extend through the frame 33 and lformed in the frame members 31 and the breaker strips l2 so as'to insure positive positioning of the casings 21 and 23 and frame 36 with respect to members in fixed position to form the'frame 63.- The panel 59 is secured to the frame 83 by "extends across the outer casing 21 and rests thereon and the rear of the lining -28 rests di-- rectly on this strip 45.

It will be noted that no screwholes are necessary in either of the casings 21 and 2!. The

screws for maintaining the parts of the cabinet in locked position are screws 43 and these do not pass through either of the linings. .-Although I screw holes have been eliminated, nevertheless, the cabinet is sturdily constructed and the cause I of corrosion, usually incident when screw holes are present, is completely eliminated.

The breaker strips, in addition to locking the casings 21 and 23 and the frame 33 in position, cover the edges of the flanges 32 and 36' and be- .3 ing made ofsubstantially non-heat conducting material, conduct very little heat from one casing I Also, the breaker strips seal the flanges 32 and of the casings 2l-and 28 to the extending edges of panel I! and is held against 1 frame 33 and, pace the casings are otherwise sealed, the insulating chamber between the easings is substantially air tight.

It will be quite obvious that the sealing strips 3 23 and can be carried either by the door 2| or cabinet 33 or one strip could be carried by the door and one by the cabinet. In the preferred embodiment, I have shown both sealing strips 23 1 tion of the door will now be described. .The door 21 includes a sheet metal outer cover in the form and 24 carried by the door 2| and the construe- I 1 of a pan 83 providing a front wall II. The material is bent rearwardly'to form narrow side f walls '2 and then inwardly to form rear inward- 1y extending flanges 83. The portions II, 5: and

1 l8 form a channel 54 within the outer four edges 1 of'the door. A frame "is disposed within the door and forms an insulating compartment or charnber. Preferably packaged insulation." is

carried in the insulating compartment which is 3 covered. on one side by the front wall SI and on the other side by a rear wall'or panel I9. This f insulation fits snugly against the walls II and I9 I and against the frame It. 1

1 The frame ll includestwo vertically extending into the embers 6| and 62. The inside edges of frame 83 and frame members GI and 82 are flush.

The sub-frame 63 includes fourmembers,

namely, the two side and top and bottom members 86 formed from the same cross'sectional stock as frame members 3'! of the cabinet. The ends of these members 66' are undercut as shown in Fig. '2' so that adjoining ends thereof interfit. countersunk screws 68 extending through the undercut portions of certain of the members 38 and into certain other of the -members secure the screws 69.

Strip means are provided for covering the exposed portions of the door, which portions are not covered by the pan 50 and'panel ii. The strip.

means includethe sealing strips 23, and 215, four breaker strips H and four thin cover strips 12, the latter being formed preferably of sheet metal.

The sealing strips 23 and "are cut from the same stock and are preferably formed from re-- silient rubber. The'sealing strip stock includes a hollow section I4, which is adapted to resiliently engage the front of the cabinet 20, and'two laterally extending sections 15 and 18. These sections are disposed substantially at right angles to one another. The section 15 is !.-shaped in cross section and the section 16 is flat. The L-shaped section It forms a hook for holding the strip in position. The hook of strip 23 is slid over the the edges of the panel by the beveled edges of breaker strips II. The flat sections or skirts .16

of strip 23 overlie the screws 58. The four frame members if and 82 are grooved at 13 to receive the hooksection I! of strip 24. The shank nor--v tion of this hook section abuts the edges of the flanges 53 of pan 50. The metal strips 12 are slid into the'openend of the hook I! and the opposite edges of strips '12 are covered and held in place-by the beveled edges of breaker strips- .IL- The skirts I6 of strip 24 conceal the Joints between the metal strips I2 and the breaker strips H. The sealing strips 23 and 24 are each formed from a continuous piece of stock, the skirts It being notched to accommodate for the right angle- .turns of. the door.

After the strips 23, 24 and 12 are positioned,

the breaker strips II are secured by tightening I the screws which extend through the breaker strips and into the sub-frame B3. Beveled edges of breaker strips 'll force the shank of hook sec-. tion I! of sealing strip 23 tightly against the pro-- jecting edges of the panel as. The inner edges of; strips 12 abut the chamfered edges of the sub frame 33 so thatthe sealing strip 24 cannot move inwardly and the beveled edges of the breaker strips, ll prevent displacement of strips 12. Thus, the breaker strips 1i securev the entire strip means inposition. The holes for screws to in the strips II and sub-frame 83 and the holes for screws-3i in. the sub-frame 63 and frame members structure which are not covered by the pan and panel. 'Ilhis strip means covers and conceals the joints between the frame structure and the sheet metal pan 50 and panel 59, and the screws 69 for panel 59. This strip means also provides, a

double seal between the door 2| and cabinet 20.

Furthermore, all of these strips are secured in By the present construction two spaced door.

position by'merely securing the breaker strips H in position.

The breaker-strips H are formed from the same stock as breaker strips 41 of the cabinet and do not conduct heat readily from the pan 50 to the panel 59. In the cabinet construction,

the wider faces of the breaker strips abut the flanges 32 and 35 and in this manner the beveled edges of the strips lie at the proper angle from v an appearance standpoint. In the door construction, the narrower faces of the strips abut the sub-frame 63 and the beveled edges thereof are at the proper angle for holding the facing strips 12 and sealing strip 23 in position.

Preferably the sections of the hinges 22 are welded to the front 3| or casing 21 and to the back portion 52 of pan 5!! and therefore no screw holes are necessary in the casing 21 and pan 50.

By virtue of the present invention, the construction of the refrigerator and the door therefor has been materially simplified and the num-- ber of different stock pieces has been materially reduced. The frame members 31 of the cabinet and the frame members 66 of the door are formed from the same stock. Likewise the breaker strips 41 and H areformed from the same stock. The arrangement and construction of the parts are such that the heat leakage is materially reduced.

seals are readily applicable. Sealing strips 23 and 24 are readily applied to the door 2| and abut the surfaces of the front 3| of outer casing 21 and the front 34 of inner casing 28 of the cabinet. The walls of the door 2| and cabinet confining the space between the two sealing strips 23 and 24, being made substantially en-. .tirely from low heat conducting material, form a dead air chamber in which minimum circulation takes place- Thus it is apparent that I have provided a cabinet which is well insulated and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

I While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to 'be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In an insulated wall structure, a frame member; a cover-for the frame; a sealing strip covering an edge of said cover; a second cover for the frame having an edge engaging said sealing strip for holding thelatter in place; and a breaker strip attached to the frame member and overlying the secondlcover for holding the second cover in place.

. 2. In an insulated wall, structure, a frame member; a cover forthe frame; a sealing strip covering an edge of said cover; a second cover for the frame having 'an edge engaging said sealing strip for holding the latter in place; a third cover for the frame; a second sealing strip covering an edge of the third cover; and a breaker strip attached to the frame member and engaging the second cover and second sealing strip for holding'the second cover and the second sealing strip in place.

ANDREW A. KUCHER. 

